Back pain
2-minute read
Back pain is very common and affects people of all ages. While it generally improves in a few days, or sometimes weeks, back pain can continue for a long period.
What is back pain?
Back pain usually feels like an ache, tension or stiffness in the back.
Several things can cause it, including a sudden movement or fall, an injury, or a medical condition. The pain is usually related to the way the bones, discs, tendons, muscles and ligaments work together.
Most people experience lower back pain at some point in their life. Around 1 in 6 Australians have back pain each year. Most are of working age, and an equal number of women and men are affected.
Back problems are a common reason for pain among younger and middle-aged adults, but they can also start early in life – between the ages of 8 and 10.
If you are experiencing back pain yourself, it is important not to restrict your movement too much. Even if your back is very painful, slow and gentle movements are better than lying still in bed. If you keep your back moving, it will become more supple and flexible.
Not sure what to do next?
If you are concerned about your back pain, why not use healthdirect's online Symptom Checker to get advice on when to seek medical attention.
The Symptom Checker guides you to the next appropriate healthcare steps, whether it’s self-care, talking to a health professional, going to a hospital or calling triple zero (000).
Last reviewed: June 2017
Recommended links
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Lower back X-ray recommendations(opens in a new window)
choosingwisely.org.au -
5 questions to ask your doctor(opens in a new window)
choosingwisely.org.au
Need more information?
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Top results
Low back pain
Read and download a fact sheet on managing low back pain here.
Read more on Choosing Wisely Australia website
Low back pain
A significant loss of wellbeing and a reduced quality of life affects those experiencing persistent low back pain.
Read more on WA Health website
Low Back Pain (Acute)
This article tells you about acute low back pain and how it is diagnosed, including what imaging tests you may need to have.
Read more on Diagnostic Imaging Pathways website
Multidisciplinary treatment for back pain
Is treatment involving a team of therapists from several different clinical professions helpful for people with long-term back pain?
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Lower back pain (backache) information video | myVMC
Lower back pain is the most common type of back pain or backache. Simple pain relief or treatment includes a back rub and pain killers.
Read more on myVMC – Virtual Medical Centre website
Low Back Pain - Pain Conditions - painHEALTH
Learn about low back pain as a musculoskeletal pain condition to identify how you can approach low back pain in your co-management treatment plan
Read more on painHEALTH website
Managing low back pain and sciatica :: SA Health
Simple advice on managing low back pain or sciatica to assist your recovery
Read more on SA Health website
Lower back pain information | myVMC
Lower back pain occurs in the area known as the lumbar spine. It may be acute or chronic depending on whether it persists for longer than three months.
Read more on myVMC – Virtual Medical Centre website
Learn about Back Pain, symptoms & treatment - MSK
What is back pain? Understand more about what causes it, how you can manage, where to find support & how MSK can help you
Read more on Musculoskeletal Australia website
Pilates for Back Pain | myVMC
Pilates and Back Pain: Pilates is a particularly good exercise for many people with back pain as it is designed to strengthen the deep abdominal and pelvic floor muscles. Pilates has been found to reduce chronic back pain and the disability associated with back pain. Read on for more info on Pilates and Back pain.
Read more on myVMC – Virtual Medical Centre website
Top results
Multidisciplinary treatment for back pain
Is treatment involving a team of therapists from several different clinical professions helpful for people with long-term back pain?
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Paracetamol for low back pain | Cochrane
To see how well paracetamol works for non-specific low back pain (LBP). Non-specific LBP is back pain for which there is no identified disease or condition.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Pilates for low back pain | Cochrane
To determine the effects of the Pilates method for patients with non-specific acute, subacute or chronic low back pain.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Radiofrequency denervation for chronic low back pain | Cochrane
Background Low back pain is a widespread problem that has major social and economic consequences. In all, 85% to 90% of low back pain cases are classified as 'non-specific'. Most patients with low back pain are treated successfully in primary care, but approximately 10% to 15% develop chronic symptoms (lasting longer than three months). Chronic low back pain can come from any part of the back that has a nerve supply capable of transmitting pain signals.These sources include discs, vertebrae, sacroiliac joints, facet joints, muscles, ligaments and other structures. Pain specialists try to identify the source of low back pain by using nerve blocks. They numb individual spinal nerves with anaesthetic injections to see if this leads to improvement in back symptoms. With substantial pain relief, they attempt to eliminate pain for a longer time by heating the spinal nerves with radiofrequency waves to ensure that the pain stimulus cannot be passed. This invasive procedure is called radiofrequency denervation. At this time, the effectiveness of this approach has not been proven.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Motor control exercise for acute non-specific low back pain | Cochrane
To evaluate the effectiveness of motor control exercise (MCE) for patients with acute non-specific low back pain (LBP).
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Motor control exercise for chronic non-specific low-back pain | Cochrane
To evaluate the effectiveness of motor control exercise (MCE) in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain (LBP).
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for chronic low back pain | Cochrane
We assessed the evidence regarding the effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) among people with chronic low back pain. NSAIDs were compared to placebo, other NSAIDs, other drugs or other kinds of treatment.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Muscle relaxants for non-specific low-back pain | Cochrane
Muscle relaxants are effective for short-term symptomatic relief in patients with acute and chronic low back pain. However, the incidence of drowsiness, dizziness and other side effects is high. Muscle relaxants must be used with caution and it must be left to the discretion of the physician to weigh the pros and cons and to determine whether or not a specific patient is a suitable candidate for a course of muscle relaxants. Large high quality trials are needed that directly compare muscle relaxants to analgesics or NSAIDs and future studies should focus on reducing the incidence and severity of side effects.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Interventions for improving the appropriate use of imaging in people with musculoskeletal conditions | Cochrane
Imaging is the production of a clinical image of the human body using medical techniques such as x-rays, ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) scan and magnetic resonance (MRI). Imaging is commonly performed for musculoskeletal conditions and is an important aspect of the management of these conditions. In some instances, imaging may not be appropriate, for example x-rays for acute low back pain, and in other instances, imaging is under utilised, for example bone mineral density testing to diagnose people at risk for osteoporosis. The identification of interventions that improve the appropriate use of imaging (either decreasing inappropriate use or increasing appropriate use) for musculoskeletal conditions would be of great value, potentially resulting in improved health outcomes for patients and reduced healthcare costs. The aim of this systematic review was to identify those interventions that improve appropriate use of imaging and to quantify their effects.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Pain Conditions - painHEALTH
Clinically supported, in-depth information about a range of musculoskeletal pain conditions to help you better understand your musculoskeletal pain
Read more on painHEALTH website
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